Digging Into RecruitingBlogs.com v2.09

(March 06, 2009) Did you notice the attention my last column generated? Digging Into RecruitngBlogs.com v 2.08 was the most trafficked single posting (although another got more actual comments) in the history of RBC. The discussion occupied the bandwidth and brainwaves of some very interesting people for an entire weekend.

Why all the fuss?

Jason Davis blasted an email to the entire RBC list; there were 50ish tweets and retweets on the subject; lots of facebook and friendfeed links; a good subject and great, well mannered input all contributed to a wildly successful conversation. Most of the comments were extremely thoughtful. For much of the conversation, the participants each took the responsibility for moving the ball a little bit forward.

As if to prove Fast Company wrong, the conversation launched at the very same time that someone called the HR Bartender was lamenting the dearth of 'convo' in the recruiting space. It's really hard to make sweeping generalizations about any part of our industry, including the assertion that sourcing is dead. But, not making generalizations makes for really boring, wishy washy 'convo'.

Certainly not everyone likes the tussle of a debate. In fact, you can reasonably guess that more timid people kept their jobs in the downturn. Debaters, who like to illuminate by exaggeration, are noisy and unruly. Pursuing the truth through caricature-ization is not always a career friendly tactic. But, it makes for great 'convo' and good reading. Part of the fun of online community is the excitement of a long conversation.

That's the strange balance you have to strike when getting a message out through new media. If your pitch is not entertaining, no one will hear it. If you don't work to keep the conversation going, the message dies on the vine. There's even room for people who always have to have the last word in this new media ecology. But, you've got to keep it lively.

In the thousands of words we all exchanged, we clarified the difference between a variety of sourcing types. We educated each other on the inherent value of our work. In some cases, we shilled for completely unrelated activities. All in all, it was a good example of community in action.

Check out JohnSumser.com. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Friendfeed. Catch up with me.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Amitai Givertz on March 7, 2009 at 2:48pm

Sandra your last comment is confusing. Are you talking about the diaspora or Christmas?

Sandra McCartt said:

Or is it only sematics scattered about without hope that anything will be conceptualized?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Levy on March 7, 2009 at 4:24pm

Ami demonstrates why he is a Master Baiter...

Amitai Givertz said:

Steve demonstrates how to spell Thesaurus but adds nothing to the conversation. Oh, it must be an exchange, that's it.

Steve Levy said:
Ami demonstrates how to use a Thesaurus
Amitai Givertz said:
Steve: What we do on the phone is a conversation. What you and I do online is [an] exchange. I couldn't be without either.

John: Remember TA? I think "ego state" has more to do with our tendency to debate or converse than our sex does. After all, if conversation is "nurturing" and debate is "critical" surely those Parent roles are gender-neutral, no?

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Permalink Reply by Maureen Sharib on March 7, 2009 at 4:26pm

It is amazing to me the rate at which we choose to heap bricks on the crumbling towers of online babble to create echo chambers where the reverberating walls accelerate our confused ruination. Ami's sentence structure deserves some kind of award.

Steve, I have always cottoned to the term "provocateuress" but alas, I don't think the dictionary recognizes it. Do you?
;)

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Permalink Reply by Steve Levy on March 7, 2009 at 4:33pm

Heather? John? Who's bringing the handcuffs?

John Sumser said:

You should be put in a penal institution for a crack like that. Everybody knows that it isn't the size of your dictionary that matters. It's all about using a few, small words well.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Levy on March 7, 2009 at 4:34pm

I think it's the "B" word

Maureen Sharib said:

It is amazing to me the rate at which we choose to heap bricks on the crumbling towers of online babble to create echo chambers where the reverberating walls accelerate our confused ruination. Ami's sentence structure deserves some kind of award.

Steve, I have always cottoned to the term "provocateuress" but alas, I don't think the dictionary recognizes it. Do you?
;)

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Permalink Reply by John Sumser on March 7, 2009 at 5:12pm

We're talking Barritos here. Chewing on it a bit, I realize that you meant masticator.

Ignore that lawyer. You know the difference between a lawyer and a rooster?

Roosters walk around clucking defiance.

Handcuffs won't help.

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Permalink Reply by Amitai Givertz on March 8, 2009 at 2:45am

Maureen: I owe it all to Chomsky - and no John, Chomsky has nothing to do with mastication.

Maureen Sharib said:

It is amazing to me the rate at which we choose to heap bricks on the crumbling towers of online babble to create echo chambers where the reverberating walls accelerate our confused ruination. Ami's sentence structure deserves some kind of award.